I'm an elephant walking on eggshells on this topic, and I saw a thread back from 2009 I wasn't sure if I should just revive, but I'm curious about GT members here who are firearms owners. I live in Illinois, thankfully not in Cook County, and have purchased my first handguns recently. I've had my FOID card for a while but never really got around to picking anything up until the past 3-4 months.

I can't say that I've grown up with firearms all my life since I was a kid and are comfortable around them, but I have quickly and deeply acquired a unquestionable reverence and respect for proper firearm safety, handling and care at all times. Illinois is the last holdout state in terms of allowing concealed carry. It'll be interesting, and frightening actually, to see how Illinois adjusts to the allowance of concealed carry (with caveats and certain restrictions, of course) come June/July of this year.

With that said, I'd like some respectful discourse about what you all own, what you carry, how you carry, what you've tried/liked/didn't like, how and why you came to own your first firearms, what got you into shooting, etc. Anything you're comfortable sharing. I'd like to stress 3 points before this thread potentially derails into a trainwreck of massive fail and I give full support for the moderators to nuke this thread from orbit if it gets out of hand:

1. debates about gun control

2. debates about gun control

3. see number 1, then number 2

I understand that it's completely unrealistic to expect that any talk of guns at all wouldn't at some point stray into the moral, ethical, constitutional, political, whatever, etc. perspective of things, but as a mature forum community (with the exception of CeeKay ) I'd like to think we could have intelligent and polite sharing of ideas, opinions, advice, etc.

I bought a .40 cal XDm compact pistol about 2 years ago, mainly because I worked with a bunch of gun nuts and I wanted to go shooting with them. I haven't fired it in over a year, I am just not a gun guy, nor am I around gun people anymore. Now it just sits in its case and I don't even have any ammo for it, which I keep meaning to pick up since I live in a place with a higher crime rate than I am used to.

When I got it, I fired some of their guns and they all seemed basically the same to me. Last year I got to shoot an M-4 with a red dot sight though, I had an absolute blast with it. I even got expert marksman awarded with it. It was so much more fun, and accurate, than the M-16 we used to train on. I thought about buying one, but can't justify the money.

Good luck with that. I doubt that this thread can stay simply about guns and not about the moral and legal issues involved. Really not sure why you even put this in "Off Topic" instead of where it belongs and will likely end up, if it doesnt, as you say, get "nuked from orbit". Heck, even you couldnt resist discussing Illinois concealed carry laws, right before asking people to avoid the "moral, ethical, constitutional, political, whatever, etc. perspective of things" I guess it will make an interesting social experiment though.

BTW Im not trying to bust your balls about this or anything, just pointing out the reality of this topic.

I grew up in MI, where hunting is ingrained in the culture. My dad collected guns. Got my first BB gun when I was 8 years old and was firing a shotgun by the time I was 12. Used to go small-game hunting (mostly pheasants) regularly and went deer hunting a few times.

I eventually grew up and moved away and none of my new friends hunted, so I fell out of the hobby. When my dad died I sold most of his guns to the sporting goods store where he'd bought them. Gave a couple to my BIL for handling the logistics for me and kept a couple for myself -- my old 20-gauge Ithaca over-and-under, my mom's .3006 deer rifle, and .22 long-barrel target pistol. They haven't been fired in decades and I don't have any ammunition. Since I'm not licensed to own a gun, I suppose they're illegal...not that that arsenal poses much of a thread to anybody.

Good luck with that. I doubt that this thread can stay simply about guns and not about the moral and legal issues involved. Really not sure why you even put this in "Off Topic" instead of where it belongs and will likely end up, if it doesnt, as you say, get "nuked from orbit". Heck, even you couldnt resist discussing Illinois concealed carry laws, right before asking people to avoid the "moral, ethical, constitutional, political, whatever, etc. perspective of things" I guess it will make an interesting social experiment though.

BTW Im not trying to bust your balls about this or anything, just pointing out the reality of this topic.

Naw, let it ride. Im actually truly interested in seeing if the overall community can exercise restraint.

I myself am from Michigan. Im not a gun owner myself. I can vouch that Michigan is a very well armed state. By far, most of the gun owners I know are extremely responsible people and for the most part are recreational hunters. I used to shoot, when I was in college and since my best friend was in ROTC, I actually practiced with the ROTC rifle team. It was a lot of fun and as it turned out I had skills as a marksman, better than most of the actual ROTC boys. As I got older, I got more involved in other things and havent shot a gun in a very long time. I can definitely see the appeal of recreational shooting though. I never did get into hunting though. Ive always been a pacifist and never saw the appeal in killing a live creature. I dont begrudge anyone the right to hunt, its just not for me.

I've wanted a Mosin Nagant for a long while and I'm currently trying to figure out which one I want. The dirt cheap $100 ones you can find are Russian 91/30s, which were made by the bazillions, but as I'm reading up more on the different types I'm hearing more and more that the Finnish ones are (generally) the most accurate*. The Finnish M39 is supposed to be the pinnacle of Mosin evolution, but the more I read the more I see that Finnish M91s are also extremely accurate. And the M91s maybe look a little bit cooler. So now I'm torn on which one I want to hunt down.

And then another side of me says to just go and find a nice looking inexpensive 91/30 and just go for it. It's not like I can't also buy something Finnish down the line.

The main thing that's holding me back though, is that if I buy something online I'll have to pay $25 to my local FFL to do the firearm transfer. This isn't a big deal, but I can also give Uncle Sam just $30 to turn myself into a certified Curio & Relic collector, which means I can be my own FFL for historical guns. Seems like an easy decision, but it takes 4-6 weeks to get the C&R license and I'm antsy to impulse buy a Mosin as soon as I can.

*The Finns took regular ol' Russian rifles (either by literally picking them up off the battlefield or by importing them) and then swapped out pieces to make the rifles meet their own higher standards for what their rifle should be.

Well, I have two minds about gun owners and guns in general. I grew up around guns, but not in my family. Most guns I was around in my youth were illegal gun ownership and with that ownership came the gun violence. I saw my first body at the tender age of 7. Some guy was shot in the head and laid out on the sidewalk in front of a local store. Iíve seen sawed off shotgun in my junior high school. Kid brought it and stuffed it in his locker. Been shot at twice. Seen two friends shot one fatally. The other is partially paralyzed from the waist down. Btw, this is just a sampling of the carnage Iíve seen in my youth

Now, you would think I would be against legal gun ownership, but Iím not. When I joined the Army and was taught how to respect firearms and learned the proper way to care, carry and shoot weapons I became very fond of responsible gun ownership. Iíve considered buying a fire-arm on several occasions, but decided against it ultimately. While I love shooting my earlier experience in life and my disdain and disgust I would feel if a firearm I legally owned was stolen from me and used later in some crime would just be devastating to me personally

I do agree the military grade firearms and extended clips should not be in civilians hands.

I was ecstatic when I found a new FFL who's 10 minutes away from me that setup shop a few months ago. His $25 transfers (as opposed to $50 or even $75 per transfer) just made it even sweeter.

wonderpug - So there's a FFL license that allows for "historical" firearms as opposed to the standard type that deals with modern ones? The "Curio & Relic collector" can only dispense with muskets and mosins?

wonderpug - So there's a FFL license that allows for "historical" firearms as opposed to the standard type that deals with modern ones? The "Curio & Relic collector" can only dispense with muskets and mosins?

The Curio & Relic license would let me buy anything that's more than 50 years old. But for the historical muskets you mention, I don't believe even that is necessary. Any gun with a receiver manufactured before 1899 is considered an antique, and anyone can buy one. Some Mosins fit this criteria, and they're still perfectly functional.

I don't currently own any, but I'm looking to change that . I plan on starting off with something like a Ruger .22/10 for target plinking, then work my way up, possibly even as far as a CHL for concealed pistol carry and perhaps a home defender shotgun. But that's all long term plans at the moment, and seeing as I have a move coming up in the next couple months and a wedding to plan for, displosable income is getting laagered away for bigger fish to fry than a new hobby.

I've never shot a gun. I've only held a gun once (when I was 8 ), and that was an old .22 rifle my grandpa had up at our cabin. I have no real desire to ever pick up shooting, but don't have any issue with responsible citizens exercising their rights to bear arms.

Never owned a gun, and never will. Not that I have much of a choice in the matter since guns are very restricted in Norway. I could get a rifle to go hunting, but I won't. I despise killing.

Nevertheless, I got my opportunity to satisfy my male need to fire a gun while I was in the army. I don't see me ever picking up a gun again in the future, not unless Norway got into a ground war, in any case.

I am not a gun guy and I didn't really grow up around guns. I write books and the characters in my books often use guns. That being said I went to a gun shop a few years ago and talked to one of the salesmen. We had a great conversation and he showed me around the weapons I wanted to write about.

I've owned a Rock River Arms Tactical Operator 2 ever since. I don't have an assault rifle because I need one. Seriously, if someone broke into my house in the middle of the night I'd more than likely shit the bed before I took a shot at them and risked shooting one of my family members by mistake.

I keep the gun locked in a hard plastic case. It also has a trigger lock. I have taken safety classes with my wife and daughter and every 2 or 3 months we go to an outdoor range and blow through about $75 worth of ammo. It's a hell of a lot of fun but I could live without the gun.

I grew up around guns. Hunted a little bit as a kid. We always had several rifles or shotguns in the house. Over the last 5 years, I've became more of a "gun guy". I no longer hunt but enjoy shooting at the range and collecting different guns. Now I shoot mostly pistols but own a few rifles as well. I live in Illinois as well so no ccw permits yet. When it becomes law later this year, I'll apply for one. I wouldnt carry every day but would like to be able to do so. Thanks for starting the thread. Maybe we can keep it alive for discussions about specific firearms.

I have friends who hunt and are "gun nuts" though perhaps "enthusiast" is how they'd describe themselves. When patient zero emerges, I'm hanging out with them ... I'll be disabling the chain-breaks on the chainsaws and leaving the shooting to them.

In all seriousness, I may go out hunting with one of my friends next year.

Also 18 posts, no need to go to R&P yet ... GO TEAM!!!

« Last Edit: February 19, 2013, 01:42:28 AM by Purge »

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"If it weren't for Philo T. Farnsworth, inventor of television, we'd still be eating frozen radio dinners." - Johnny Carson

Well, my first real experience (short of maybe as a young kid, as both of my parents worked at one point in the local Michigan police force) with guns is when I found out that my 95 year old Grandmother owned a at least 20 year old (by that point) Taurus .38 Cal Special short-barrel. 5 round double action revolver (so no firing pin to pull back before pulling the trigger if you'd like), extremely hard to pull said trigger, and absolutely terrible accuracy (seriously - the bullet spins out of control past about 10 feet, and that's with brand new ammo). Uncle found the gun hidden away in a drawer somewhere after she passed away, and I decided to take it.

Frankly I can't imagine my Grandparents owning such a weapon. And the thing is so absurdly difficult to actually use (not to mention a joke on accuracy), there was no chance either of them could actually fire the thing when they bought it.

Anyhow - I myself own a 9mm Springfield XDM 4.5 pistol. I've put a few hundred rounds through it at the local range over the years, like how it feels, and I'm a decent enough shot with it. And while it doesn't leave the house short of going to the range and back, I do keep it loaded and tucked away, ready for use.

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"All opinions posted are my own, and not those of my employers, who are appalled."

With that said, I'd like some respectful discourse about what you all own, what you carry, how you carry.

Glock 19 with Glock 17 magazines. Glock 19 standard mag is 15 rounds, I prefer the Glock 17's 17 round magazine. Open carry too. Its funny to see people walking towards you suddenly turn around like they just saw a serial killer. Also, Blackhawk serpa holsters. The drop leg one makes people run for the hills.

3 .22 LR pistols and a Ruger 10/22 rifle, none of which have been fired in years. I have maybe 15 rounds of .22 ammo that I keep far away from the guns. I sometimes think about getting a pump action shotgun just for the sound it makes being cocked, probably make a home invader question his options.

The pump action sound scaring away bad guys is kind of an "only in movies" / urban legend thing. Not that a pump shotgun isn't still one of the best choices for home defense, it's just not because of the sound.

Anyways, I liked it well enough, but didn't like the DA/SA transition as much as I needed to to feel truly comfortable with it. Finances being what they were/are, shooting so much it became a non-issue wasn't really an option to me. So, I sold it and bought a second-hand Browning Hi Power, also in 9mm. It has the magazine safety removed and the trigger is crisp as can be, and the gun is a tack driver. It's comfortable in the hand, I can shoot it very accurately and I personally like the added safety layer of an actual safety.

I also have a plinker - a walther P22 which is fun to shoot around with. Would be more fun if it was more reliable, but it works well enough for its purpose.

My first gun as an adult was a Ruger GP100 .357 magnum. It was a good gun, but had an incredibly hard hammer to pull back and the trigger pull was ridiculous too. My first wife could not shoot the thing. I ended up selling it for a CZ-75, which was my first auto. Very nice 9mm.

Around 2002 I bought a Dan Wesson Patriot, which is a 1911 .45. That is the nicest gun I have ever shot and is a gun with which I will never part. It has a trigger pull of around 2 3/4 lbs, so it's perfect for the range, but waaay to light for carry (not that I'm ever going to carry). Just a fantastic gun that fits my hand like a glove.

I bought a no-frills Springfield Armory Mil-Spec 1911 .45 (I love 1911s) that I thought I'd play around with and upgrade over time. Ten years later I still hadn't done anything with it. It is not a great gun. It will shoot ball ammo, but will jam every time with hollow points. The sights are not good for my eyes and the thin thumb safety doesn't work for my thumb. I took it to a gunsmith and told him all the modifications I'd like to do to it. He told me that there is no way in the world I should put that kind of money into that gun. It's not worth it. Sell that gun and buy another gun that already has those features. Oh well. Lesson learned.

I had thought about getting a CCL about ten years ago, but decided against it. For me it's a lifestyle choice that I wasn't prepared to go through with. I have nothing against it, but it required a level of commitment that I wasn't willing to make. I also no longer keep ammo in my house now that I have kids. My guns are not for protection and are only for my enjoyment at the gun range. I'm just too worried about the boys getting into them. When they are older they will definitely learn how to shoot them though.

I had thought about getting a CCL about ten years ago, but decided against it. For me it's a lifestyle choice that I wasn't prepared to go through with. I have nothing against it, but it required a level of commitment that I wasn't willing to make.

This is where I'm at right now. I actually have a CCL, but I rarely if ever carry. In truth in the 3 years since I got it I've carried maybe three times total. Carrying concealed is really a huge shift. You have to dress differently, shift your mentality... it really is a pervasive thing that I'm not in a place to even want to tackle at this point in my life. I'm glad I have the license, as it protects me to a degree from miscellaneous firearm charges and allows me the option for special circumstances (the last time I carried was last year when I met total strangers at a gas station to sell them something off craigslist). But overall I'd much rather just be smart about where I go and who I go there with than carry that responsibility around with me all the time.

I have a couple of friends who carry. One is a cop and one has trained religiously with a couple of cops. Both have adopted the carry dress - loose, untucked buttoned shirts and jeans, khakis. They are almost always carrying too. It becomes like carrying a wallet, so that you don't even think of leaving the house without it. That's the kind of lifestyle I thought I'd have to adopt too or else I'd always be thinking about the gun behind my hip, which would make me uncomfortable. I opted to not go that route.

Now if I were to go that route, I'd do as they do and train like crazy with that particular weapon.

I am an avid pheasant and duck hunter. I also do some varmint and predator hunting. All of the guns I own are rifles or shotguns. I have a Winchester SX3, Remington 870, Tikka .223, Savage .243 (just won this at a Ducks Unlimited banquet), Ruger 10/.22, and a couple of shotguns that passed away relatives owned. I have gotten more into coyote hunting this year. For that my newest addition is a Remington R-15 .204. I live in the country and can shoot all my guns right in my yard. In fact my neighbors bean field slopes down and back up just behind my house and makes a great 100-200 yrd back stop. I don't own a handgun but have been considering it.

Yeah, I know...which made it especially awkward when I accepted your invitation to "the gun show" a while back. I showed up expecting to see AK-47's and room sweeping Shotguns, what I got was two derringers and some weak ass punch.

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Warning: You will see my penis. -Brian

Just remember: once a user figures out gluten noting them they're allowed to make fun of you. - Ceekay speaking in tongues.

I currently own a .45 Glock 21 and a .40 Springfield XD... Now in month 9 of waiting for my carry permit (getting it for a sidejob in armed security).. Also plan on getting an AR15 or something similiar during the year a nd probably a shotgun of some sort... I go to the range with my friends kind of on and off... Have had the guns for about 2 years now..

I live in Chicago, so I've currently don't have anything. Waiting to see how everything plays out here before I make a decision. Spent time in the USMC, have fired a ton of different weapons, and am looking forward to someday arming myself.

Does anyone have any recommended gun forums that they browse? Just looking for more focused conversation

I live in Chicago, so I've currently don't have anything. Waiting to see how everything plays out here before I make a decision. Spent time in the USMC, have fired a ton of different weapons, and am looking forward to someday arming myself.

Does anyone have any recommended gun forums that they browse? Just looking for more focused conversation

New Aimpoint PRO red dot sight is on the way for my recently acquired Sig M400 AR15 too. Will get a pic when that's in. Here it is the day I picked it up. I just threw on the vertical front grip. I was pretty lucky to get it for a reasonable price. It wasn't the lowest price you could pay for one, but I didn't get taken to the cleaners either. The prices some people are paying for ARs blows my mind.

There wasn't anything specific I didn't like about it. It's a nice shooting, sleek & compact piece well suited for carrying. The trigger on it was pretty nice with a smooth take-up and crisp break. My only nitpicks about it where it's gratuitous loaded chamber indicator (you could see it from space) and it's magazine disconnect, but I can't argue against additional safety features. The manual frame mounted safety was also extra piece of mind for carrying (even though some people don't like it).

I sold it because I've just always wanted a Sig. For a "budget" polymer pistol the 2022 retains Sig's soft shooting characteristics and manners at beer money price point. Granted it's not a P226 or P229 (which I'll own someday) but it's still a nice piece. Not as easy to carry as the SR9c, granted, but manageable if you want to go that route. I'll probably regret selling later, hehe.